I really enjoyed reading this. The story and the spunkiness of Honoree grabbed me from the first few pages and never let me go. We got married too, by the way.

The history was rich and seamlessly weaved in. I thought the slang and 20's terminology was good though did they have the f-bomb back then, idk. In some stories, it can feel like they're infodumping the time-period's slang. I didn't feel that way here.

I also enjoyed all the main characters and their complexities. Even Trudy, who wasn't the typical mean girl. Eziekel annoyed me but had me rooting for him all at the same time.

If I have a nitpick, Sawyer's struggle with guilt and and depression seemed to magically disappear after a few talks with Honoree. But maybe he just needed to be true to himself. I don't know why Ms Kent liked him. I also always feel weird when the fictional characters meet real-life historical figures. How am I supposed to know if they're in character lol.

CW: colorist remarks, death, attempted sexual assault ( )

Loved this book! ❤ ( )

Wild Women and the Blues is a slow roll story, a little bit of a mystery but mostly just historical fiction. There's a dual storyline with multiple reveals, all of which are relatively interesting. I liked the book feel enough, but I really struggled with the pacing and ended up kicking the narration up to 2x. I think it was a mix - the slow pace of the book itself coupled with a slow narrator.

We have some interesting characters, though, and all of them have different sides that leave the reader interested in digging down and learning their truth. I was interested in all three of the principle characters in the past, and I grew to understand why we also had a present-time storyline. That one I didn't love, but it was fine. It served the final twist, and that was what mattered.

I'd recommend Wild Women and the Blues to the right kind of reader. They'd have to be an historical fiction fan, for one. It's got the edges of a lost love kind of love story, as well as many aspects that make books set in Prohibition really interesting. I appreciated having a different perspective telling the story - not a flapper, not a white girl, not a bootlegger, not a mobster. There's a formula to this story as well - the dual storyline - that makes it a tried-and-true format that many people enjoy.

If you enjoy adult historical fiction, historical fiction from Black perspectives, and the 20s, this is a great book to check out. ( )

Sawyer Hayes needs to finish his PhD thesis after a year's absence from mourning the death of his sister. His hope lies in proving that his grandmother's old films are original Oscar Micheaux's. The last living link to the film is 110 year old Honoree Dalcour. Sawyer needs to interview her for his thesis, but Sawyer will have to prove his worth in her eyes in order to hear about Honoree's life among the legends of 1920's Chicago.

Wild Women and the Blues drops into jazz age Chicago, specifically Bronzeville representing the African American experience during this time period. Honoree's story is one of loss, heartbreak, and danger, but also one of hope and the promise of freedom. We are introduced to Sawyer first, however most of the story is from Honoree's point of view with several intermittent chapters that bring the point of view back to the present. I was completely wrapped up in Honoree's point of view from her youth. Her personality is rough and crude, but she knows what she wants and gets it done. The writing brought alive the Dreamland Cafe with glittering costumes, rowdy customers and free flowing bootleg whiskey. Honoree definitely lived a wild life as a dancer who cavorted with Louis Armstrong, Oscar Micheaux and Capone's gang. The mystery that ran through Honoree's story was enticing, her secrets run deep and were teased out slowly. ( )

This book made me want to learn more about Lil Hardin Armstrong, and Oscar Micheaux. ( )